Memorial for Kimsey Family: Mary, Rowan and Stella

The following is taken from an article published in the Oregonian on August 25, 2026:

Mary Elizabeth Kimsey

The 85-year-old Mary Kimsey of Portland was described as a loving, spiritual person and an activist. She was Rowan’s mother and Stella’s grandmother. Mary was the matriarch of our wide and close-knit family. She was a caring person to her family and her community. She was also a spiritual person who was an activist for people, nature, and the earth.

Rowan Karla Kimsey

A talented artist trained in both traditional forms and tattooing, 60-year-old Rowan Kimsey of Forest Grove was credited with teaching her craft to many people in the region. Rowan was Stella’s mother, and was described as an adventurer who had a clever sense of humor. Rowan was an incredibly talented, dedicated artist, working in both traditional art and tattoo creation. She trained many artists in the Pacific Northwest who carry her teaching and mentorship on in their work. She had a delightfully sharp wit and loved every new adventure.

Stella Jade Kimsey

Described as determined and passionate, 26-year-old Stella was happiest while embracing life on the farm in Forest Grove. Stella was incredibly passionate and fiercely loving. When she believed in something, she never gave up or backed down. Farm life was what she was born to do, and she was never happier than when she was living out on the land. She adored animals, being out in nature, and above all, her family. It would make her very happy to know that the farm animals have found a good life where they will be well-cared for.

Lessons from Mary…

By Connie Coltran

Never stop learning and discovering your Heavenly Nature…then live and reveal this as you care for and support healing in others.
Mary transformed her beliefs into actions to enhance the earth and humanity.
Continue to love and forgive others, even when these are not reflected by others.
Mary’s greatest joy was the treasured time spent with the young people in her family!
Allow yourself and others to be vulnerable and feel deeply…be who you are.
Education is a valuable pathway for developing and sharing your gifts with the world.
Mary never gave up on a child’s ability to learn…even those with the most severe disabilities.
“This is my good life: my lap with a book and Morgana!” (her beloved cat)
Seeds are amazing holders of potential. Take the time to plant, water and tend to the good seeds within ourselves and others.
Only oneself can find their path to healthy living; maybe a person will and maybe they won’t, but it is not something that we can control.
Always look for the goodness in others and never give up on them.
No matter how challenging life can be, find time to laugh, look at the night sky, fly a kite, search for tiny fairies under mushrooms, go for a walk, bake bread, sew a costume for a child, or watch a sunset.
Mary never gave up on a child’s ability to learn…even those with the most severe disabilities.

Remembering Mary

By Lusijah Marx

Mary had dreams, intuition, and 100% presence that guided how she lived each day and how she showed up for children, her family, her cat, animals and people in general. She knew that Qi Gong strengthened her capacity to be present and in touch with dreams and inner guidance, and she rarely missed a class over the years.
Mary was a teacher of disabled children. She had a dream about one nonverbal child on the autism spectrum. She dreamed how she could help him learn to speak. Her dream occurred near the end of the school year, so she contacted the family and asked if she could continue working with him that summer. She worked with him at his home until he became verbal.

Mary lived a simple life guided by presence. She loved beauty and sharing the experience of watching a sunrise, hummingbirds, the migration of monarch butterflies, or the sounds of nature like crickets or frogs. She loved fireflies and the profound lessons from nature and she took time to take time to savor the beauty and awe of nature. She loved the fragrance of roses and daphne. She loved babies and little children and they loved her. She taught the value of living with pauses instead of pressure (a lesson of great value in our culture!) She lived with generosity of spirit every day. She had an impeccable standard for herself that she modeled for all of us who knew her. She showed us what it meant to live with an ethical identity. She was genuine and understated, lacking the need for recognition. She might be overlooked at first, but her true nature and loving kindness shone through making her my most valuable teacher.

Memory of Mary by Camille Hofvendahl

I will surely miss your beautiful, quiet, secret knowing smile, a whisper of your deep inner strength. I will remember your twinkling smile.

In Memoriam by Fayra Teeters

Although Mary Kimsey exuded a quiet, almost shy demeanor, she never pulled her punches when it came to standing up for something she believed in. She was a staunch supporter of all things Subud, attended every event, every testing marathon, every meeting, gathering and Congress. The last thing she said to me when we spoke prior to a Portland Subud monthly meeting, was how moving my performance had been during the SICA Cultural Evening for the National Congress/Gathering over the 4th of July Weekend, “You looked like you were 29 years old!” I thanked her, with the added thought that that performance might very well have been my last. Her immediate response was, “You always say that, but you never do quit!” I stopped right there in my tracks, thanking her for pointing out the obvious, and vowing that I would “shut-up” about quitting. She smiled and nodded in approval.